Luis Suarez: Liverpool's post man intends to deliver more by choosing power over precision
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nobody hit the post more in the Premier League last season than Luis Suarez. His incredible strike rate in the Netherlands has added to the feeling that he should be scoring more for Liverpool.
"In trying to be so precise and trying to make sure the keeper will not get to the shot, you go for the corners and you hit the posts," he says. "Maybe I should just try to hit them harder this season." He suggests that the figures from the Eredivisie flatter him. "I was lucky to score with my shoulder and my stomach, they all seemed to go in."
A change in Liverpool's style, where playing out from the back is not so much encouraged as compulsory, can only help him. "It's as he [Brendan Rodgers] says: if all our defenders are very opened out and the goalkeeper is able to play a bit it is impossible for the other team to get the ball off of you when you bring it out from the back unless you make a simple mistake with a bad pass.
"It's an intelligent way to see the game and we have to adapt to it. For me as a striker here in England against defenders who are all tall and strong a long punt forward is no good to me at all."
So how quickly will adaptation lead to a charge at the title? "Lots of players in Spain have said to me that what the Premier League has over La Liga is that you never know in any given game what is going to happen because the teams are so well-matched. In Spain you have that power that Barcelona and Madrid have over the rest."
Overhauling Manchester City will not be easy but it is a long way from being impossible. And he is playing for a man with a plan, albeit an ambitious one.
"Obviously we are not going to start playing like Barça overnight," says Suarez of his manager's desire to play passing football. "But the manager was studying in Spain and in Barcelona and in Holland too where they play good football. It's a beautiful idea. We have to have the ball as much as possible and pressure the opposition as much as possible when we don't have it. It is about not getting desperate and impatient in possession and just waiting for the space to make the right pass.
"The pressure has to be more intense and I have to be the first player on the pitch to apply it. None of this is easy, but you have to have the idea and the intention in the first place, and then you go about learning to put it into practice."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments